Story Kitchen Cooks Again in March

Bob Tanabe, Gloria Lee, Petrea Burchard, Catherine Yesayan, and Elaine La Marr at the Flintridge Bookstore & Coffeeshop.

The Story Kitchen's January/February class was an absolute hoot. We had two memoirs (one travel, one life/historical), one novel and one novella. Now each of the authors has the tools to make their stories into whatever they want them to be.

We focus on story structure: how to organize your ideas onto the page. The next workshop begins in March: 4 weeks, 4 students, $199. The flyer below gives you the details, but of course you can email me with any questions. I've got a special email address for the Story Kitchen. Save your spot in the workshop by stopping at the store, 1010 Foothill Blvd. in La Canada Flintridge, or by calling (818) 790-0717.

A couple of testimonials for you:

I’ve been running story lines in my head but never could put those thoughts into words. That is, until I signed up for the Story Kitchen writing class. Petrea takes a personal interest in each of her students. Her teaching style keeps me focused and inspires me to keep on writing.—Bob Tanabe

Petrea's workshop has motivated me and made me want to kick my procrastinating self back into creative mode. She inspires us to be ourselves when writing. So grateful I attended this session.—Elaine La Marr

It has been a most enjoyable workshop, and has expanded my understanding and appreciation of the writing process.—Gloria Lee

Multitasking

I signed up for the bluefeet newsletter because I like it and I learn from it. Bluefeet was founded by Lilli Cloud "to help people achieve their potential by capturing and communicating what makes them and their work extraordinary." Scroll to the bottom of any page of the bluefeet website and sign up if you want to get the newsletter, too.

This time around, Lilli and her staff sent a newsletter entitled, "Getting Your Flow On." They included a link to an article about multitasking. It says multitasking is bad for your brain.

I don't know if that's true. I get my flow on in multiple ways, all at the same time.

When John comes home and I'm nowhere to be found—the bed is half-made, some of the dishes are put away, the bathtub is squeaky clean but not the bathroom floor—I'm probably in the garage because that's where the filing cabinet is.

If multitasking is bad for my brain, that could explain the roots of my noun problem. I often have to grapple to find the word I'm looking for. I always stumble over "Brussels sprouts" and "sideboard," for example. I have no idea why these in particular give me trouble. Sometimes when I write and the word I want is not available, I write OWTTE (or words to that effect) or FABW (find a better word) and move on, hoping it'll come to me while I'm editing. It usually does. (It has to. I'm not finished until it does.)

I had a little trouble understanding the multitasking article because I had to switch screens between paragraphs to read another article I was reading about  the dwarf planet Ceres. Did you know it gets up to -28 degrees Fahrenheit up there? Hey, I've spent winters in Chicago. -28F is livable! Or it would be, if Ceres had an atmosphere. I don't remember anything else about the article but it gave me something to do between paragraphs in the multitasking piece.

I used to think my multitasking was a talent but now I know it's frenzied (FABW). It's time for me to buckle down, concentrate and focus (OWTTE), or I'll never GTD (get things done).

Why dictation software is not for me

"Pearls Before Swine" is by Stephan Pastis

So she enters the room, and—no. No so. And this should be past tense so she entered—stop. Go back to so. No so, too many sos, go back to—start over.

She entered the room, and he thought

...

Why did it turn off? Aren't I allowed to think for a few seconds? Stop. Start again.

Maybe entered isn't good enough. Stop. Start again.

She swept into the room—ugh. Cliché. She glided. Glid? Glided. Start over.

She glided into the room 

That just doesn't look right.

All eyes went to the door as she entered. 

Stop. Eyes do not go to doors. 

All eyes were on her as she glided into the room.

Can eyes be on somebody? They can look on somebody.

All eyes looked on her as she glided into the room.

...

...


--> Oh, pigpigpiggypig blahblah. Blah! Stop!


-->

-->

See

Well, hello there. I haven't seen you in a while.

I have excuses reasons. I'm working on the final production for Act As If: Stumbling through Hollywood with Headshot in Hand, my new book of essays about my experiences in Hollywood. I'm writing another novel. I'm making website changes. John and I are training Wilma, who is willing but has the attention span of a dog.

And I'm seeing differently.

When I started taking pictures, I began to see like a photographer. I saw the shape of the photo in my mind, with levels and shades, thirds and quadrants. I learned to frame the picture in the camera instead of in software. It became almost automatic. And every day, I couldn't wait to share my photos with you here.

Now I rarely see a photo like I once did. I wonder if this is the photographer's equivalent of writer's block, yet I don't believe in writer's block. When I feel a block, I keep writing. It's the same as grocery store worker's block. When you feel it, you still go to work.

I haven't been taking as many photos lately, and if I would just get out there with the camera I'd begin to see photos again. But right now, I'm doing other things and I can't wait to share them with you when they're finished.

Fun Fiction

A friend gave me a copy of a university-published "literary magazine." It's all short stories and poems. I've been reading it on the john. Most of the stuff is pretty good, though honestly, I'm not a big fan of the poetry. Some of it is obscure, even deliberately obfuscating, and that puts me off. But I liked a couple of poems in the magazine, and most of the short stories are well written.

The stories, even the poorly written ones, have one thing in common. It's as though the professor said, "Write about your most miserable experience. Child abuse, drug addiction, and/or rape will get you an A plus. And remember, no laughs!"

There are a few famous literary magazines that every writer wants to get into. I've tried to read them. I can't get through them. Too depressing. I don't know if all literary magazines are this way, just the ones I've read.

In fiction, a main character has to go through trauma. He has to have a strong need or we won't follow him. But I can't endure fiction that has absolutely no light in it whatsoever. It's one of the reasons I wrote Camelot & Vine. I like to learn when I read. I like to have to look up a word or check out a reference. But when I read I also want to enjoy myself.

It's not like I haven't experienced trauma. But I've already had therapy and I don't want to write about it.

In Camelot & Vine, you know from the beginning that Casey has problems. She's sleeping with a married man, she's failing in her work, and she has no relationship with her one surviving parent. Her history explains how she has become this person. Then she's thrust into an adventure she doesn't comprehend but must, in order to survive it. And it's dangerous and it's romantic and it's fun. At least, I think so.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with dire fiction, or highbrow poetry. These works require talent and perseverance to create, and they have an audience. I'm just not that audience.

So I did what I suspect a lot of authors do. I wrote the book I wanted to read.

*****

And now for something completely different!

FREE CONCERTS IN THE PARK ANNOUNCED THROUGHOUT SUMMER SEASON

Ann Erdman, Pasadena's former Public Information Officer, apparently can't just sit back and enjoy being (or drinking) a Lady of Leisure. She's helping the Pasadena Senior Center spread the word about free concerts:

You don’t have to be a senior citizen to attend free, family-friendly concerts at Pasadena’s Memorial Park band shell Tuesday evenings from 6 to 7 p.m. this summer, sponsored by the Pasadena Senior Center.

 * July 16 – The Salty Suites present a blend of toe-tapping Americana, bluegrass and folk music.

 * July 23 – Tumbleweed Rob and the Southwest Junction performs traditional western cowboy music with a country twist.

 * July 30 – Pasadena Summer Youth Chamber Orchestra performs historic and contemporary classical music.

 * Aug. 6 – The Folk Collection presents Americana music at its best, with songs made famous by Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and other greats.

 * Aug. 13 – The Perfect Gentlemen combine a cappella harmonies with humor to keep the tradition of Vaudeville alive.

 * Aug. 20 – Lisa Haley and the Zydekats is a Grammy Award-winning group that performs lively Cajun Zydeco music.

 * Aug. 27 – The Rock Bottom Boys present rock and roll hits of the ‘60s and ‘70s with a fun, hillbilly twist.

 * Sept. 3 – The Great American Swing Band will round out the summer concert series with the sounds of Big Band, standards, swing, rhythm and blues, jazz and Dixieland.

Bring a picnic or purchase food at the BBQ snack bar. Memorial Park is on Raymond Avenue between Walnut and Holly streets in Pasadena.

 For more information visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org or call (626) 795-4331.

Script Kitchen

UPDATE: 

John and Tara report strong response to Script Kitchen, so they'll open a Sunday class soon. Date and time TBA. Questions? Want in? scriptkitchen@gmail.com

**********

Tara Samuel and my husband John Sandel finalized plans yesterday for the screenwriting class the two of them will begin teaching in--wow--just over a week. We're pretty excited around here.

Script Kitchen will include 7 students in 6 weekly classes, "focusing on story structure and how the hero determines the tale." John and Tara believe we all know deep down how a good story is supposed to work. (You know when a story doesn't work, don't you?) In their class you'll find out how much you know and how to apply it to creating a screenplay, full length or short.

I'm sorry they're not teaching novel writing. Next time, maybe? I learned everything I needed to know about story structure from John.

There are still a couple of openings. Here's the info:

In the picture, Tara is not taking dictation. I gave her the notepad as a prop because all she had was that little ole' apple and John had a whole bowl of chili. We offered Tara some chili. Really we did.

TM2READ

When I was a kid at 4H camp, the counselors used to sing a song at lunch in the lodge: "Announcements, announcements, announcements! A terrible way to die, a terrible way to die..." Then it just repeated itself. It was kind of terrible. But I'm grown up now so I like to think I announce better things than trash pick-up at the tether ball court.

A blood drive for Children's Hospital Los Angeles is taking place conveniently here in Pasadena from 7:30am to 1:30pm today. You can find the CHLA Blood Mobile at the Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green Street, right behind the Paseo. CHLA needs 1,000 units of blood every month. Take lunch early and be a hero!

And,

A short story of mine, called Portraits, will be published in April of 2013 in a collection called Literary Pasadena: The Fiction Edition. I'm honored to be part of this Prospect Park Books collection, along with local star authors like Michelle Huneven, Victoria Patterson and Jervey Tervalon. Michelle will contribute the introduction, Victoria was a guest author here on PDP, and I met Jervey once at a party! I'm in excellent company.

And!

My very short story, Belinda's Birthday, is now an audiobook (voiced by me), available on Amazon for 89 cents. Because it's an MP3 download it's listed under Music. You can click on my little ad at the upper left or just click the link right here. I'll be interested in your honest feedback and, if you're so inclined, your Amazon reviews.

We have two entries awaiting your judgement in the Camelot Where You Are photo contest. I'm holding onto them until I get a couple more, for competition's sake. It's your turn! (Details are here).

Have a great weekend!

Picture Picture

I'm reading an excellent book by Ann Patchett called State of Wonder in which a doctor from Minnesota takes a trip (for which she is unprepared) to the deepest Amazon. Patchett makes the jungle real in her writing. I wonder how she researched that. I mean, did she look it up online? Read books? See a movie? Or did she actually go there?

I might be able to research Patchett and find out, but for the moment I'd like to ponder the question.

In one scene an anaconda nearly kills a boy. I don't know a thing about anacondas and it would have seemed real enough to me if the danger had come from either constriction or the snake's bite. But let's say you know about snakes. Would it bother you if the author got it wrong? Or would you just think, "It's fiction, she's allowed to make it up"?

John and I discuss questions like this when we talk about writing. When we talk about photography, we don't. We just take our pictures from our different angles, and we're fine with that.

Margaret Finnegan: Goddess of Inspiration

Today is release day! You can now buy a brand spankin' new copy of the brand spankin' new novel, The Goddess Lounge (paperback here), by South Pasadena's Margaret Finnegan. That is a beautiful thing, partly because I love Margaret and partly because I love The Goddess Lounge (ebook here). Also partly because Margaret inspires me.

Margaret's blog, Finnegan Begin Again, would be inspiration enough to read her novel because one always wants more of her unique writer's voice. But she's gone further by involving her readers in the processes of publication and promotion. We've been reading about goddesses, we voted on the book cover, and when it was time to make book trailers we contributed photos of ourselves being goddesses.

Margaret has created two (two!) book trailers. Here's one:


Here's the other:


I'm in the second one twice! The first photo you see is one John took of me. Plus, that's my voice, reading from Chapter Two. I'm honored to be included.

The publishing industry has changed so much in the past few years that publishing the book yourself has become the way to go, or it's certainly at least as viable as the traditional way.  I love what Margaret's doing. Her energy and innovative ideas inspire me, and I can't wait to get my copy of The Goddess Lounge.

Camelot & Grind

Who remembers the Coffee Shop Quest? Anybody?

Awhile back I was on a quest to find my ideal coffee shop. I wanted a place where the music was either non-existent or very much in the background, where the chairs were comfy and the tables were the right height for typing on a laptop, where nobody minded if I sat for a while and where the coffee tasted of miracles.

I'm shocked to realize it's been more than a year and a half since I've quested. But that's about to change because it's time to start writing a new book.

Have I mentioned I finished my novel? I finished my novel. Speaking of miracles.

It's called Camelot & Vine. It's about a failed Hollywood actress who dreams that King Arthur comes and takes her away from it all. Unfortunately for her, he does. It's an adventure of love, time travel and second chances.

(This is not the official announcement. This is the unofficial announcement.)

So, what next? Next I send letters to agents describing my book in pithy terms. And if there's a happy ending to this tale, one or more of those agents will want desperately to represent my book to publishers, publishers will clamor to buy it, it'll get published and one of these days you'll all be reading it. This part, though, is like an actor's audition process: you audition many times, you're rejected many times, and if you keep at it you eventually get to "yes." My novel has already received two rejections from agents, so I figure I'm that much closer to "yes." (Miracles happen.)

Rather than dwell on this it's time to write something else. Which brings me back to the Coffee Shop Quest, because coffee shops are a good place (for me) to create new and miraculous material, as long as the coffee is that good.

Take a look at the Quest link. Do any of those shops need updating on the blog? What spots would you suggest I visit? I'll take you up on your ideas as I can, returning to my quest and seeking out high adventure in a new novel via the coffee shops of the San Gabriel Valley and as always, sharing my results with you.

Slacker

I took a brain vacation yesterday. I couldn't make the thing work anyway, so I didn't have much choice.

Usually I work at my desk. I write stuff, move paper around, organize things and generally make myself look important to myself. But yesterday I could not figure out which paper went into which pile.

Coffee was no help. That brain would not apply itself to the meaningless crap I had to prioritize. So I left everything and went outside.

I repotted a plant. I swept the back porch. I chopped up the rosemary that's been taking over the back yard. (Hey! There's a passage around the side of the garage. I'd forgotten.)

At my desk once again, I moved a piece of paper. It didn't seem to be in the right pile.

So I went out for a cup of coffee. I took a note pad. I wrote things on it while I drank my coffee. It was the most work I got done all day.

It felt strange not to be my usual productive self. As most freelancers will tell you, when you work for yourself you work seven days a week, much more than 9 to 5. A day off is an anomaly. But I guess I needed it. It's a good thing my boss wasn't paying attention.

Idea

Sometimes you have a hundred ideas and no luxury to write them all down. Sometimes an idea for a story is a long time in coming. Sometimes you wonder if the idea for the story you just wrote is the last one you're ever going to have. Or maybe that's just me.

Then I sit at the keyboard, open a document and let my fingers go. Silly me, all this time I thought ideas came from my brain.

Guest Author: Amy Ratcliffe, Geek With Curves

For the third month in a row, I'm happy to present a guest post by a local writer. Today, meet Amy Ratcliffe.

I love her story. She wanted to be a writer. She thought about it. Then she decided to make it happen and bam! 

I think you'll like Amy as much as I do.

My name is Amy Ratcliffe. I'm a geek (that will be relevant in a minute). For most of my life I said I wanted to be a writer. However, I didn't do much to make that dream happen. I wrote as often as I felt like it in my writing notebook, and if you only write when you feel like it, the notebook doesn't fill up very fast. I participated in National Novel Writing Month a couple of times and actually defeated it once. I started blogging and realized it was fun to get feedback on the words I was putting out there. But I didn't know how to translate any of this to making my dream happen.

Then I was watching Star Wars for the nth time in January of last year, and I thought to myself: why not create a blog just for discussing your favorite geeky things?  So I started Geek With Curves. I signed up for Twitter around the same time. This started a new chapter (pun entirely intended) for me. I made myself sit down and write every day whether I felt like it or not. I started making connections. I also found a huge geek community on Twitter. People that didn't judge me for reading comic books or dressing up like Han Solo.

Through these people, I found writing work. Slowly but surely I am building a list of sites that are happy to accept articles about the politics in Game of Thrones or the female role models in The Clone Wars. I contribute to websites such as Tor.com, ScienceFiction.com, and the L.A. Times Hero Complex. I am doing what I love. A talented artist I know always tells people, "Don't tell me how bad you want it, show me." This is the phrase I keep in mind when I've had a long day at work and don't feel like sitting in front of a blank screen. I don't sleep as much I'd like, I definitely don't watch as much television as I want to, but I hope the sacrifices will be worth it when I'm doing what I love to do full time. And I believe I'll get there. Eventually.

Notes on the Sam Merrill Trail

We've had cool weather for a few days and the sky is clear. I took this shot from about a mile and a half up the Sam Merrill trail, looking out from alongside one of the electric towers. If you enlarge the photo you can see Century City and Santa Monica. That glow is the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean.

Just looking at the photo makes me want to get on the trail--any trail. Each has different merits. The Sam Merrill trail is so popular I rarely use it on weekends. John and I like it for exercise because it has some steep parts and it gets your heart going, not to mention your lungs and thighs. And the views are great. Other trails in the area might be less well traveled and therefore better for bird watching, finding wild flowers or thinking.

I wrote a lot of the first draft of my novel on the Sam Merrill trail. John and I were living near the trail head while I was writing it, and I would stomp up the hill with a note pad in my pack, letting the characters talk to me. Whenever they said anything worthwhile I'd stop and write it down.

Most of what they said may have worthwhile, but not worth keeping for the final draft. But you have to write that first draft in order to get to the second, third, fourth, etc.

Walking is a great writing tool. I walk a lot, and I always have a note pad and pen with me. Camera too, of course.

Chris Cleave

I was at Vroman's last night, obviously. I might not have gone had my brother not asked me to get a book signed for him. He likes this author, Chris Cleave. I hadn't heard of Cleave but I like my brother and plan B involved doing nothing, so I went.

Chris has two books out right now: Little Bee and Incendiary. He read from the latter and it sounds riveting. I haven't read his books (yet) so I can't recommend them, but the woman next to me in the signing line afterward told me that "Little Bee" was the only book everyone in her book club liked.

Cleave drew a good crowd, but not so huge that he couldn't take a moment to chat with everyone who had a book signed. I swore to myself I wasn't going to tell him I'm a writer. With two books published and a third one almost finished, what's he going to say to every wannabe writer he meets? "Good for you, that's very nice, good luck in everything you do"?

It slipped out, and while I was ruing my blabbermouth he asked me what stage I'd reached with my book. I murmured "uh, finished, working on synopsis, it's very hard, blah blah." He gave me suggestions for how to approach the synopsis and was so kind and encouraging (as opposed to condescending) that by the time I headed for the cash register I had forgotten I was supposed to be kicking myself.

I learned a couple of things: attending such events might be a good use of my time at this stage of my career, and being a nice guy sells books.

Because I hadn't planned to buy one for myself, but I did.

Susan Stroh: Coaching it Out of You

Susan Stroh is one of those people who asks about you first. To start a conversation she says something nice about you--not your outfit, you. She points out something intriguing she heard you say, or mentions how well you carry yourself or how interesting your work is. She knows how to focus outside herself. I imagine this skill comes in pretty handy in her work. But I wanted to focus on her this time.

Susan and I met through the Women's City Club Business Boot Camp. A writer and editor (she published 15 personal essays in 2009 alone), Susan has an office but she'd rather work at Pasadena's Central Library, so we met for a cup of coffee at Central Grounds. With our shared backgrounds in acting and writing, we found a lot to talk about--my acting, my writing, my blog--wait a minute--I was supposed to be interviewing her. How does she do that?

Besides her own writing, Susan's in the business of coaching other writers. It fits. Her gifts for getting people to open up and for seeing an individual's strengths are ideal for a writing coach, because each writer is different. With novelists, for example, coaching might involve a good deal of brainstorming. With those working on a memoir, a session with Susan might be about coaxing an idea to fruition. Susan describes part of her process as "finding what the client is doing right and encouraging them to do more of it."

I told her I'm so intent on my own work I don't think I could focus that hard on someone else's. I asked how she does it. Her answer: "Standing back and creating a vacuum for the writer to fill is so satisfying to them that it's satisfying to me."

She can be tough. She expects agreements to be kept and deadlines to be met. "So many people mean to write, plan to write, say they're going to write, and put off writing. I help them keep the promises they make to themselves."

"I know," I said. "I had to set a deadline, then tell people about it so I'd be accountable."

"What's your deadline for?" she asked.

And I was off again, telling Susan my story instead of getting hers. I'm not selfish. Really I'm not. She's just that good at coaxing my story out of me.

Morning classes for Susan Stroh's ten-week Memoir and Personal Essay Writing Workshop begin January 20th. Evening classes start February 2nd. For more information and to sign up, contact SusanStroh (at) sbcglobal.net or call (818) 497-7486.

Beacons

Sometimes I think I struggle. And it's true, I do. All humans have struggles. But our struggles are relative. So after a long working day it's good--no, it's a blessing--to enjoy a glass of wine, a backyard garden and good literature. Literature, in a variety of forms (reading it, writing it, discussing it) is my recharging fuel. Good friends and wine never hurt, either.

Everyone needs that thing that fuels them. (Maybe you recharge with music or a football game or a workout.) Last night while we discussed writing and literature, lights twinkled in the bushes and candles flickered on the window ledge and I was renewed.

I wasn't the last to leave. I walked home feeling fortunate, having forgotten whatever struggles I thought I may have had. Behind me, the voices of my friends spilled into the darkened street and saw me safely home.

Morning Doves

Someone who came before us attached a birdhouse to a post supporting the roof over our back porch.

This photo is oddly framed because Ms. Mourning Dove doesn't want me near her. She'd fly out of the nest if she could, but she's got eggs and doesn't dare leave them. I took the picture from several feet away, then cropped it.

As far as I can tell, Ms. and her Mr. are on their second brood this summer. The first was a successful pair of little ones, both of whom still gallivant around our back yard gorging themselves. We have a vast selection of bugs and they're welcome to 'em.

I like to sit on the back porch and write in the mornings before it gets too hot. The female tolerates me because she has to, but the male has just about had it. He flies to and from the nest but won't stay there if I'm around. Sometimes he brings sprigs of dried grass for the nest. When he flies he makes a noise like a wildly upset dolphin after too much caffeine. It wasn't until I read Wikipedia's article about mourning doves that I realized it wasn't a vocalization but his wings making all that noise.

I'll always be grateful to the person who put up that birdhouse. I wonder what I'll add to bring joy to the people who'll live here after I'm gone? (Maybe replace those gutters?)

Dianne Emley, Pro

Do you believe it? I was actually out again last night. After dark and everything.

John and I went to Vroman's to celebrate the debut of The Deepest Cut, the third book in Dianne Emley's Nan Vining thrillogy. If you follow Pasadena Daily Photo you know I profiled Dianne here last November with the first of her Nan Vining books. We followed that with a contest to win the second book, and now the third one's here.

I've enjoyed learning from Dianne about her process. As an actor, it took me a long time to understand that acting must be approached as a business as well as an art. As a writer, I'm learning much more quickly. Dianne approaches writing like the business it is, and she's a pro.

Last night she read from The Deepest Cut, then fielded questions from a full house about everything from publishing to process. The discussion went overtime, then we all lined up to get our books signed.

Many thanks to guest photographer Bob Reiter for this shot. It makes me laugh that Dianne and I both whipped off our glasses to get our picture taken.

And many, many thanks to you, Dianne.

First Cut Contest: How's It Going?

At the top of the steps, a supporting post of the arcade bore four plaques commemorating officers killed in the line of duty since the city's incorporation in 1886...Vining reflected that she had nearly become the fifth name...

Okay, you know we're doing a contest, right? Read The First Cut by best-selling Pasadena author Dianne Emley, answer questions about it and win a copy of the sequel, Cut to the Quick. (The rules are here. The questions are here.)

In the story, Pasadena Police Detective Nan Vining is wrestling with her own demons while trying to track down the real-life demon who murdered LAPD officer Frankie Lynde and dumped her body under the Colorado Street Bridge.

Until Mademoiselle Gramophone pointed it out to me, I hadn't realized you could get The First Cut at the library. But of course! And Pasadena's library has several branches. So if you like a heart-pounding read, check it out. Literally. Of course you can also get The First Cut at any book store. The contest deadline isn't until January 27th so there's plenty of time.

You're allowed to ask questions, either via email or in the comments. And hey! Is there a Pasadena location in the book that you want to see? Send in your requests (include the page number where it's mentioned) and I'll do my best to get you a picture of the site in the book.

How's it going? Check in!

Update: Rereading the post this morning I note a couple of things: First, the real-life officers who died in the line of duty gave their lives making Pasadena safe for the rest of us. Second, since 1886 many officers have died, but only four died in the line of duty. That's an amazing record of safety.